RATIONALE: Pemetrexed disodium may stop the growth of tumor
cells by blocking the enzymes necessary for tumor cell growth.
Drugs used in chemotherapy such as gemcitabine use different
ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or
die. Combining pemetrexed disodium with gemcitabine may kill
more tumor cells.

PURPOSE: Phase II trial to study the effectiveness of
combining pemetrexed disodium with gemcitabine in treating
patients who have pleural or peritonealmalignant mesothelioma.

Determine the median survival of patients with malignant
pleural or peritoneal mesothelioma treated with this
regimen.

Determine the time to objective tumor response and
duration of response in patients treated with this regimen.

Determine the time to treatment failure in patients
treated with this regimen.

Determine the time to progressive disease in patients
treated with this regimen.

Determine the progression-free and overall survival of
patients treated with this regimen.

Determine the quantitative and qualitative toxic effects
of this regimen in these patients.

OUTLINE: This is an open-label, multicenter study.

Patients receive gemcitabine IV over 30 minutes on days 1
and 8 and pemetrexed disodium IV over 8-15 minutes on day 8.
Treatment repeats every 21 days for at least 6 courses in the
absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity.

Patients are followed at 30 days and then every 3
months.

PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A total of 18-73 patients will be
accrued for this study

Ages Eligible for Study: 18 Years and
above, Genders Eligible for Study: Both

Criteria

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

Histologically confirmed malignant pleural or peritoneal
mesothelioma of 1 of the following subtypes: